Chiefs vs. Bengals: Crucial Matchup for Conference Odds

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00:00But I think we need to start this breakdown off with Kansas City and Cincinnati for everything

00:07that this game means for, you know, I thought we would be heading into this game where I

00:14was going to be able to say whoever wins this game is going to be favored to win the conference.

00:17But she's currently favored to win the conference if Cincinnati were able to pull off an upset

00:20they'd be sitting 2-0, win, road win, tiebreakers.

00:24Now Cincinnati needs to pull off an upset here in Arrowhead against Andy Reid on extra

00:30rest in order to avoid an 0-2 deficit.

00:34They've had early deficits before that again are created whether it's due to lack of continuity,

00:40Burroughs health, there's a million different things that you can kind of bring up here.

00:43But all of a sudden, Joe, we have a real danger spot for Cincinnati Bengals team who had big

00:50expectations that could very well now start this year 0-2 and they're favored to.

00:55And they have no offensive identity right now and I'll give Donny credit, he said take

00:59the points against New England last week, they came out, Joe Burroughs 164 yards through

01:03the air, they couldn't run it consistently with Chase Brown, they were in long third

01:08down situations and again they played like a team that was at the bottom of the AFC last

01:12week.

01:13They need a bounce back spot.

01:14I do feel that they bring a better effort today, catching 5-1 on the road.

01:19We talk about Joe Burroughs, numbers all time against the Kansas City Chiefs, three

01:23in one total record, has completed 70% of his passes, Kev, average 313 passing yards

01:29per game, nine touchdowns, three interceptions and I understand that was a couple of years

01:34ago where he had great success with those playmakers.

01:37They're going to need a good effort today, I like them, plus the 5.5, it leans to the

01:41under.

01:42Again, I don't think they're built for a shootout, but I think they can run it, they can utilize

01:47the short to intermediate passing game, Donnie, and I'm going to take a shot because the numbers

01:51suggest Burroughs bounce back.

01:52It's probably the most contrarian point view of the week to take Cincinnati, but I don't

01:56see it.

01:57The opening line was 3.5 and of course that was probably Saturday night last week, quickly

02:00jumps to 5.5, now we're seeing game day right now, Joe, 6.5's are out there and I agree

02:04with that.

02:05There's no trap lines per se in sports, but when I go back and watch the film of the Cincinnati

02:09Bengals, and you guys know I wasn't high on them even to start the season, but just watching

02:12last week, if you don't have explosive plays, you're not beating Kansas City.

02:16The way you beat Kansas City, go for it every fourth down, don't kick field goals, hopefully

02:20you can manage and Patrick Mahomes maybe gets tripped up towards the interception or two.

02:23What I saw last week was no running game whatsoever, no explosion in the passing game, you know,

02:28Yossi Vash on one side, you got Chase on the other, now I do expect, if you're out there

02:32saying I need better out of Jamar Chase, I actually think you get that.

02:35You might get a touchdown today, 75 plus yards, that should happen, but I didn't come into

02:39that game last week with high expectations for the Bengals and they lowered it.

02:42They didn't play a good football team.

02:44They played one of the least talented teams and got absolutely manhandled last week.

02:48No, they did, absolutely.

02:50They did.

02:51This is one of those spots though, Donnie, for me, where I look at the Burrow-Mahomes

02:55battles, there's four of them, all decided by a field goal, much less the fact that Burrow

03:00has taken three of those four meetings, but all decided by a field goal is one part of

03:04it.

03:05I also mentioned this, because we'll get to the Cincinnati side, and maybe I'm on an island

03:08here.

03:09I was really disappointed by what the Chiefs did in their opening game.

03:13I think they were completely let off the hook by Lamar missing a wide open Zay Flowers,

03:19and then on the next play, Isaiah likely not being able to get his foot in bounds.

03:23It's very real that we would be talking about the loser of this game's 0-2, and I don't

03:28think the Ravens deserve to win the game.

03:30I don't think they were better than the Chiefs in the game, so then how did we get to that

03:33point?

03:35Last year, Kansas City would continuously let teams hang around and not go pedal to

03:40the metal, put your foot on someone's neck.

03:43I was higher on the Chiefs this year than last year's version, at least through the

03:47offense.

03:48I don't love their defense as much as last year's group, Donnie, so that was one of my

03:52beefs with their week one performance is some of the negatives from last year rearing their

03:58ugly head.

03:59But even if you're looking at the game last week or Thursday night, you can easily say

04:03that's supposed to be an AFC championship matchup.

04:06Now coming into the season, love the Ravens.

04:08Coming into the season, love the Chiefs.

04:10Coming into the season, I didn't love the Cincinnati Bengals, but you could approve

04:13something to me.

04:14Hey, you know what?

04:15You know what that game should have finished last night, last week?

04:1617-7 Bengals.

04:17I was like, you know what?

04:18They got the win.

04:19It's opening day.

04:20They're trying to work through some things.

04:21But they showed me nothing in that game.

04:22Now, if you want to say, we paid Tee Higgins, we paid Jamar Chase, everybody had a full

04:25training camp, I would be looking at this game much differently, but I'm not getting

04:29Tee Higgins here.

04:30Now, I'm getting a super angry Jamar Chase in this game, which either means I'm going

04:33to go crazy, but then if I get 10 catches, 132 yards, and two touchdowns, I'm still not

04:38going to get paid anyway.

04:39Oh, I'm going to miss a couple of meetings next week, and maybe if my hamstring flares

04:42up.

04:43And also, Tee Higgins.

04:44I know hamstrings better than anybody.

04:47You get one, it hurts, and you've got to sit out.

04:49But if he gets paid $60, $70, $80 million, I guarantee he's probably trying to give it

04:53a go today.

04:54No doubt.

04:55He's right about that in terms of money cures everything.

04:58You walk out there, and you try to give it your best.

05:00I'll just say this in regards to Cincinnati.

05:03The mindset is what you worry about, and Donnie brought that up.

05:06How many years have they started 0-2, and they've rebounded and made it to an AFC championship

05:11or challenge, potentially for a playoff spot?

05:13That is the concern when you stare in Kansas City in the face today, right?

05:17If they fall and lose this matchup, Kevin, I think the season's lost because of what

05:21Donnie said in regards to Tee Higgins and the situation with Chase.

05:25However, that aside, I look at the Thursday night game in regards to Baltimore, and I

05:29say, okay, leading wide receiver is Isaiah Likely.

05:33I think he's a good tight end.

05:34I don't think he's a lead.

05:36I still think that Joe Burrow and those weapons, as long as Jamar Chase is out there, can challenge

05:41the secondary over the top.

05:43Can they get chunk place?

05:44Can they score first?

05:46Can their defense force turnovers against Pat Mahomes?

05:49That is the main question.

05:50You cannot allow Isaiah Pacheco and that rushing attack to rush for over 100 yards and keep

05:55Burrow on the sidelines.

05:57That is where this game's going to be win or loss.

06:00Give Joe Burrow multiple opportunities.

06:01Yes, from a win or loss, but again, from a cover perspective, when you're like, oh,

06:06perfect.

06:07Kansas City.

06:08Isis game.

06:09Why does Pacheco have the ball again?

06:10Again.

06:11I'll tell you this.

06:12For me, I worry about Kansas City bleeding clock, but all in all, this is a classic Burrow

06:16bounce back spot, and I have to be involved in it.

06:19Off of a loss, Donnie, where they scored 14 or less points in the follow-up game, when

06:23you remove when he tore his ACL against Washington his rookie year, 6-0 in the follow-up, scoring

06:28at least 21 points, averages 31 and a half points per game in those spots, clear bounce

06:33back spot for Burrow.

06:34And by the way, quickly on this, you're right about Kansas City playing that lead dog position

06:37and favorite at home.

06:38We've seen it.

06:39They've had to come back.

06:40Now, is this a Bengals win for you or is this the Chiefs don't close it out and you can

06:44go down the field and score a touchdown when they don't need to stop you?

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